Stoker mechanism



Aug. 6, 1940.

W. T. HANNA STOKER MECHANISM Filed May 23, 1955 3 INVENTOR W'z'llz'akm If Hanna KQ ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 6, 1940 PQQNITED STATES QV: M

William hom son: ann oi ninatigphio 1 Application May 23, 1935, Serial No. 22,967

w'l hispinvention relates to stoker construction and more particularly to a stoker construction foruse on a locomotive. w One of the objects of this invention is to pro- 5- vide a stoker construction which is simple and inexpensive in construction and sturdy and durable under conditions of rigorous use. Another object is to provide a standard construction of the abovenature' which assures a uniform= de- 10" livery of fuel to 'a boilers Another object is to provide a standard construction of the above nature which may be used on a variety of locomotives. Another object is to provide a standard M h construction of the above nature which can be readily installed on a locomotive boiler backhead with' -a -minimum of fittings and handling of heavy parts while so doing. Another object is to provide a construction of the above nature which may bereadily removed from one locomotive and installed on another without necessitating extensive replacement of parts, to piovide an adapter unit which is relatively ineigpens'ive' and light in Weight and by the use of whiclif-a standardized Stoker can be installed on locomotives of diiferent types. Other objects will bein part apparent and in part pointed out here inaft r "The-invention accordingly consists in the 0 ments, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplifiedin the struct ore to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application of which will-be indicated in the following claims "In the accompany drawing in which isshown.

3?! one of the various possible embodiments of this invention, I

Y-Figure l is averticalsection of a backhead of raj-firebox on which is mounted the delivery end of a Stoker and adapter embodying the inven- Figurez is a front elevation of an adapter unit embodying the invention; and

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the a line 3- 3 of Figure 2. y i Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughoutjthe several views of the draw-'- rear of the fire'door of the fire box of the locomotive Joined to this transfer conduit is a large housing, commonlycalled a fuel supply housing) a mounted on the boiler back of the: boiler, the

557 housing surrounding th'efiring opening andsup Another objectis i m features ct -construction,- combinations of ele"-' overieed stoker for locomotives usually com prises a transfer conduit for. moving fuel forwar'dly from a tender to a p'ointbelow and to theportingvarious-devices usedfor effecting distribution of the fuel over the 'fire bed. This housing is generallydarge; heavy and expensive to manufacture-an'd handlegand so-by its inherent size causes some"-difficulties inproperly mounting it 5 on the backh eadof the locomotive.

The' simplest-and probably the' most economical means employed for mo'ving-the fuel through the stoker are screw-conveyers, for which use the stocker parts'must'becarefullydesigned to avoid 1( obstructions to the flow of fuel which is relativelyeasily'stopped Forthis reason, for example, "the anglewhich: the fueltakes in flowing fromthe transferconduit to the housing-must come within well de'fi-ned' "ts-L The angle (with respect to the ver tical bf thelipath that the fuel takes through-the housing is carefully worked out'forf magi'niumefliciericyj Each housing is preferably desig' d-to take care'of these factors to provide forthe inosfleificient flow ofthe fuel through it iii-- andfiSYdSigned-sofithatitS parts are'locate'd in predetermined jpositionswith respect to the 'hori-' zor'ital jand 'verti'cal wl'in in place on a locomo tive" Sincthese housings are-so large and exv pensive and-are usually made fromcastings', it is 2' of fcoursedesirabletostandardize them in so far as possible {But in the way of such standardization' -isf the" fact --that there is no standard angle o'fthe backheads f locomotives with respect to the vertical" angle may vary over fifteen 3*0 degrees among-"- different locomotives. Consequently, if a standardized housing'were'designed "on fa'boilr backhead' slopingfif I frojrrftheyertical it would not be ffiv e'orj ten degrees from the ver- V an -object of the present invention his roblem so; that a standardized fuel may be adapted to diiferent back a's' 'a backhead l'l having the '1 ng 12.?Eackhead H is inclined upp lyi housin enerally indicated e-"pa q offa mechanical stoking' l h or example, as is described in myfiate t 'No 2,044,001.' Fuel'forced upward-I 1y "H mi I ncefitfmoves1 over a distributing allyflin dic' ted at'flSbjy whichit is dis-v .e eding e t"? d of flthe fu eltsupply housing has huntedon a vertical boiler b 4d the. vertical and has mounted 4:5

elevating conduit 14 flowslinto 56"" 6 which isp'artially covered W13 suitablefire door mounting I l secured to the housing and through which the operation of the stocker may be examined or the fire hand fired.

The lower portion of housing I3 includes a flanged portion I3b which is secured to a complementary flanged portion lb of elevating conduit I4 by bolts 40 or the like. Elevating conduit I4 has a universal connection (not shown) by which it is connected with the fuel feeding mechanism (not shown) carried by the locomotive and tender. Thisuniversal joint allows for relative movement between the locomotive and tender such as would occur on curves, for example. It is preferable, however, that elevating conduit I4 be maintained in a predetermined position; that is, its axis should never exceed a desirable angle of inclination with respect tothe vertical. Accordingly, fuel supply housing I3 is definitely v positioned at a predetermined desirable angle of inclination with respect to the vertical. Accordingly, such a housing is hereinafter characterized as standardized. or fstandardf The fuel supplyhousing includes a wall portion I3a which extends upwardly from flanged portion I3b and terminates in a fuel'delivery ledge 1 or shelf I8 which is disposed in the forward open- I ing of the housing and is substantially contiguous to fire opening I2. The surface of this ledge or shelf preferably lies in a horizontal plane when thefuel supply housing is correctlypositioned as pointed out above. 7

Fuel distributing unit I5 includes brackets or portions 3| which are mounted on steam, pipes 3Ia through which steam flows into the fuel distributing unit. 'Steam pipes 3Ia extend through the opposite sides of an, adapter plate generally indicated at I9 as bywayof holes 3Ib (Figures 2 and 3). A blast chamber 32 extends downwardly from brackets 3| and is provided with a number of steam jets 33. and 34 through which steamfiows to distribute fuel delivered thereto from shelf I8, as is more specifically described in my copending application, Serial No. 722,833, filed April 28, 1934. When housing I3 and adapter) are in position, steam j ets 33, which are disposed in a fan-like arrangement, preferably lie in a plane substantially parallel to the surface: of: delivery shelf l8. Thus fuel flowing over shelf I8 falls into the path of steam ejected by jets 33 and 34 and is distributed over thefire bed in fire box, Ill at a predetermined uniform Supply housing I3-(Figure l). is preferably of astandard. construction and is provided with a suitable mounting face formed by a portion 28 preferably integral with and extending from wall l3a of. the housing and by flange portion 29. Portion 28 has a ledge 28a, the surface of which lies in the plane of the mounting face.

"As has'been pointed out above, the angle of I I very often varies considerably among different locomotives. Accordingly, tomaintain the correct position of a standardized fuel supply housing I3 with respectto the vertical'when mounted onsa fire backhead of any or no inclination, I have provided a series of adapter plates I9 of different sizes. With reference to- Figures2 and 3, each adapter i9 is preferablya casting'comprising a framelportion' 20' (Figure 2) whichembraces fire opening I 2 (Figure 1). Frame portion 20 (Fig- II; "The adapter (Figure 3) is also provided with tapering wall portions 22 (Figures 2 and 3) and a top portion 23. Extending downwardly from top portion 23 is a flange portion 24 (Figure 3 and extending toward one another from the upper portions of walls 22 are mounting faces 25 (Figure 2). A wall portion 26 (Figure 3) extends across the lower portion of the opening defined by frame 28 and preferably has formed therewith an outwardly extending flange 21. The rearward edge 22a (Figure 3). of walls 22, the surfaces of mounting faces 25 and the surface of fiange 24 all preferably lie in the same plane and form a suitable mounting face which is complementary to the mounting face of supply housing I3.

Assuming that the angle between the rear surface of backhead II and the mounting face of the fuel supply housing has been determined, to join the housing and backhead it is only necessary to choose an adapter of the size sufficientto fill this angle and so to provide a mounting whereby the fuel supply housing is maintained in its proper angularposition both with respect to the backhead of the boiler and with respect to the vertical. Suitable studs 30 maintain the adapter and the fuel supply hous-. ing in assembled relation. 1

It may now be seen that adapter I9 is substantially Wedge shaped and, compared to the fuel supply housing, is a relatively small and light, part which may be made in a multitude of sizes without incurring any considerable expense. Depending upon the dimensions and proportions of the various portions of the adapter, such as walls 22 and flange 21, a standard fuel supply housing may be adapted to a locomotive backhead of substantially any angularity without effecting a change from the correct operative position of any of the stoker parts, such as the fuel supply housing and elevating conduit I4. I

Inoperation, fuel is fed into elevating conduit M by the stoker mechanism (not shown) and thence is forced up into housing I3 until it approaches the level of delivery shelf I8. It

then overflows shelf I8 at a predetermined and stoker mechanism becomes damaged, during operation, the fire may be hand fed through the openings in fire door mounting I1 and housing I 3 which-are in alignment with firing opening l2. It may now be seen that by providing adapter IS in a multitude of sizes, a'standard fuel housing can be adapted to a backhead of practically any degree of slope, and the desired horizontal position of fuel shelf I8 and the desiredvertical position of housing I3 can be maintained.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a stoker construction in which the above objects in addition to many others are achieved in a thoroughly practical and eflicient manner.

, As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asv many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in theaccompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.v

I claim:

1. In combination with a locomotive fire box having a back wall with a firing opening therein, plate like stoker supporting means registering with said firing opening and having securing flanges abutting the back wall and secured thereto, said means including a rearwardly extending web of greater depth at its top than at its bottom and also housing-supporting flanges extending laterally from said web, the faces of said supporting flanges thus being angularly disposed with respect to the faces of said securing flanges, a stoker fuel discharge housing communicating with said firing opening and having fuel-manipulating instrumentalities therein designed to be positioned at predetermined operating angles with respect to the vertical and horizontal when the stoker is mounted in operative position on the back wall, said housing having laterally projecting flanges at its forward end abutting said supporting flanges, means for securing said forward and supporting flanges together, and said supporting means having a predetermined angularity between its securing flanges and supporting flanges so as to support the fuel discharge housing on the back wall with that angularity between the back wall and forward flanges necessary to support the fuel discharge housing at the desired angle.

2. In combination with a locomotive firebox having a back wall with a firing opening therein, plate-like stoker supporting means registering with said firing opening and having securing flanges abutting the back wall and secured thereto, said means including a rearwardly ex tending web of greater depth at its top than at its bottom and also housing-supporting flanges extending laterally from said web, the faces of said supporting flanges thus being angularly disposed with respect to the faces of said securing flanges, a fuel discharge housing communicating with said firing opening and having fuel-manipulating instrumentalities therein designed to be positioned at predetermined operating angles with respect to the vertical and horizontal when the stoker is mounted in operative position on the back wall, said housing having laterally projecting flanges at its forward end abutting said supporting flanges, means passing through said flanges for rigidly securing the housing to the supporting means, and said supporting means having a predetermined angularity between its securing flanges and supporting flanges so as to support the fuel discharge housing on the back wall with that angularity between the back wall and forward flanges necessary to support the fuel discharge housing at the desired angle.

WILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA. 

